


Gold Day

by legjames



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marauders Era - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Muggle, Angst, Bookshop, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Marauders Friendship (Harry Potter), Modern Marauders (Harry Potter), Muggle London, Muggles, Multi, Romance, The Marauders - Freeform, record store, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-13 05:42:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28648503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/legjames/pseuds/legjames
Summary: Remus Lupin, a lost soul who recently found himself working in a bookshop in London, is desperately trying to outrun his insufferable past. To escape the rain one dreary Monday morning, he found shelter in local record store. There, he met Sirius. Will he ever get over the agonies of the past? Will he finally muster up the courage to seize the future and talk to Sirius Black?
Relationships: Sirius Black & Remus Lupin & Peter Pettigrew & James Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, jilly, wolfstar - Relationship
Comments: 4
Kudos: 53





	1. The Black-haired Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! I'm honoured that you've decided to read this fic. Just a few quick notes before you begin...  
> \- This fic is named after the song Gold Day by Sparklehorse (brilliant song, I would recommend checking it out!)  
> \- This story does not contain any magic or links to the magical world. The characters are essentially muggles.  
> \- I do not support JK Rowling in any way.  
> \- I will add content warmings at the beginning of a chapter if it contains anything harmful/upsetting/sexual in nature.

Remus trudged along the cracked pavement, brown boots weathered and frayed. He glanced down at his shoes and sighed; he was in desperate need of a new pair, yet he could not bring himself to dispose of his faithful boots. After all, they'd served him well. They fitted perfectly to the sole of his foot and not one blister was produced from his obsessive act of wearing them constantly. Much like his boots, Remus' clothes for that day weren't exactly new. He discovered that the best - and cheapest - clothes were to be found in local charity shops and markets. Luckily enough for him, he'd been living in London for the past few months, so a charity shop was never far away. His green knitted jumper clung snugly to his frail frame and his black trousers hung limply to his legs, held up by a heavily flimsy grey belt. As for his hair, it was neatly tucked underneath his raincoat's hood. A few nut brown curls had escaped and cascaded down his bedraggled face. Remus found that his hair became shockingly curly once wet, so he helplessly tried to keep all his locks safely secure in the hood.

He'd hate to have messy hair at work.

The rain pelted down upon his dark blue raincoat, small puddles on the pavement growing into little rivers and streams. Remus wasn't overly fond of the rain. He much preferred watching the small drops tap against the window in the safety of his flat, warm mug of tea in his hand. Perhaps that said a lot about Remus. He did not like getting submerged in water; he much preferred watching the raindrops from afar.

Back home in Bristol, rain was never far away. You could always count on it raining at least once a week in the colder seasons, if not more. Winters in his home city were blissfully beautiful: warm, cosy evenings by the fire wrapped up snugly in a blanket; scalding mugs of hot chocolate with his mother's homemade biscuits; late night strolls upon the beach. Reliving old memories made him feel deeply homesick, but Remus simply could not help himself. He'd left behind so many wonderful memories. But, of course, he had his reasons for leaving. Reasons he could not bear to think about. Reasons that made his stomach churn and his palms sweat.

As to not completely ruin his poor shoes and avid the downpour, Remus decided to dart into the nearest shop and take cover. He looked down at his watch and gave a small groan; he was going to be late for work. It was already 10:56am and he was due at the library at 11.

 _Oh God_ , he thought to himself worriedly, _Julia is going to kill me._

Julia Corrigan, Remus’ coworker and friend, despised lateness, no matter the excuse. Once, Remus had been five minutes late due to a road accident but Julia was utterly furious and made him sort out the jumbled kid’s section shelf for the rest of the day. Remus hated to admit it, but he quite enjoyed organising and tidying. He didn’t think that he’d like his job as much as he did.

It was a bit of a split-second decision for him to take the job. He’d arrived in London almost completely penniless. Remus hadn’t come from a very wealthy family and at nineteen, he had absolutely no idea how he was going to support himself. He had no brothers or sisters to rely on, nor any immediate family. It was just him. Well, him and Julia. Julia had gotten in contact with Remus via Facebook about a year prior. They'd been good friends in high school and Remus very much enjoyed the few years of education they endured together. He was positively ecstatic when she got back in contact with him after the end of school. The two of them had been casually messaging and calling for months and months when Remus suddenly broke the news that he was moving to London. He was thankful that Julia didn't try and convince him to stay in Bristol. Instead, she offered him a job there and then. Now two months in, he certainly did not want to lose it. He was very lucky that Julia had moved to London a year before he had. He didn't dare think about where he would be without her help and unconditional support. 

He glanced to his left and spotted a vibrant shop he’d never seen before. Remus quickly walked towards the shop, artfully dodging the puddles. As he got nearer, he could just about make out the name of the shop. It was a little difficult to see through the rain and his tangled, wet hair was annoyingly falling into his eyes.

**Potter Records.**

It was an old record store. 

The scarlet red paintwork smiled at him as though it was greeting an old friend. Unlike the other shops on the street, its windows were pristine and perfect; not a smear or crack in sight. The golden-coloured door stood proud against the neat brickwork and solid foundation of the building. The captivating colour of the shop glowed effortlessly in the worsening weather, beckoning him inside. A smile faintly lingered upon his lips as he opened the door.

Heat danced around his shivering body. Thank god for modern day heating systems! An inviting aroma of cinnamon and PVC lurked incoherently throughout the seemingly small area. Remus’ eyes travelled around the shop, pupils flickering with excitement. It had been years since he’d stumbled upon an old record store. There used to be one a few streets down back home in Bristol - Circle Records - but it closed its doors for good when Remus was only thirteen. This store, however, was even more brilliant. Row upon row of colourful and battered records stood neatly in large oak wood shelves. Dotted around the walls were an abundance of posters and song lyrics idly scribbled upon black spaces. It was chaotically beautiful.

Remus, realising he’d paused in the doorway, stepped into the magical store.

At the back of the shop stood a sturdy-looking counter. Next to it was a ridiculously large speaker, which was churning out a smooth and faintly delicate song which Remus immediately adored. He found it a little strange that a speaker that big was playing a melody so fragile.

_Good morning, my child_

_Stay with me a while_

_You not got any place to be_

_Won't you sit a spell with me_

_You've got diamonds for eyes_

_It's time for you to rise_

_And evaporate in the sun_

_Sometimes it can weigh a ton_

He found his foot tapping absentmindedly to the soft beat, as his mind swam around in the comforting background bass. It hummed and whispered in his ears. 

Behind the counter was a boy. His lean figure was elegantly slumped against the side of the counter, black hair hanging just below his shoulders. His posture indicated that he was from a wealthy, uptight background, but as Remus got closer, he noticed that his eyes told a completely different story. Soft grey. The colour of a silver coin. His eyes were soft, kind, with a hint of childish mischief. But there was something else swimming in his irises, something that Remus could not quite work out. The boy's eyes shined brightly in the artificial lighting of the shop, fingers lazily flicking at a pen lying on the counter. He wore a dark red shirt which contrasted heavily with his pale complexion and a velvet black blazer on top.

The boy, obviously sensing that he was being looked at, glanced up.

The two of them locked eyes for a few moments. A few blissful moments. Remus felt invincible. Planets collided and stars fell out of the sky, as he maintained eye contact with this mysterious boy. His face flushed a shockingly bright red.

The boy gave Remus a soft wink, then diverted his gaze back to the pen. Remus' stomach somersaulted.

Remus looked down at once. _How long had he been staring at him?_

He dared another glance. 

He was gently humming the chorus of the song under his breath, eyes still glued to the pen.

_Keep all your crows away_

_Hold skinny wolves at bay_

_In silver piles of smiles_

_May all your days be gold, my child._

He bashfully turned his heels and began to exit the shop, a little horrified at his sudden interest. It had been years since he'd ever... felt those things towards someone. 

This wasn't meant to happen. This wasn't part of Remus' plan. But for some unknown reason, the boy would not stop weaving himself into Remus' head. 


	2. Fairyland

“Jesus, Remus! You’re soaking wet!” exclaimed Julia.

She stood near the entrance with a library log in hand - Julia never sat down - and grimly glanced at Remus’ dripping clothes and curling hair, drops of rainwater falling upon the polished wooden floor. She waved her hands in a dramatic manner and ushered him towards the back of the library, worryingly eyeing up the small trail of water he was leaving behind.

Describing Julia as bossy would be an understatement; she was ferocious, a true force of nature. If she wanted something done, you had no choice but to abide by her rules. She flourished with knowing looks and sharp smiles. Her deep purple hair and confident blue eyes, russet brown complexion and admirable fashion sense made her impossible for Remus not to love. All she had to do was smile at Remus and he’d willingly do anything. Julia just seemed to have that power over people.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

Remus felt a million miles away. With his mind still hazy from his trip to the record store, he stumbled towards the back room of the library.

He felt heavy, light and dismayed all at the same time. His limbs ached and his wet clothes were beginning to make him shiver, yet his mind had never been more alive. Remus’ thoughts waltzed through his head, jumping and climbing and singing uncontrollably. He’d become accustomed to being excellent at blocking out unwanted thought, but he seemed completely and utterly unable to remove the black-haired boy from his brain. Their brief encounter replayed over and over and over again, never once pausing or stopping.

Remus spent the remainder of his morning stuck in his own daydreams and sorting out the new order of books that had just come in. He rather enjoyed opening up the cardboard boxes and sorting through the piles of novels. The smell of new books. Remus couldn’t think of anything much better. Well, apart from the smell of the record store maybe… Remus fell deeper and deeper into his thoughts.

“Remus!” snapped Julia.

He jumped up in shock, rather taken aback by the sudden increase in noise. This movement caused a few piles of books to tumble to the ground with a satisfying _thump_.

“Where are you? Fairyland, eh?” she joked fondly, as she began to pick up the small mountain of fallen books.

“I- uh,” Remus stuttered, “Sorry, I’ve just been a little distracted today.”

“Mmm, I’ll say!”

Julia studied him for a while, her eyes travelling across his scarred face. She took note of his clouded eyes and vacant expression, his distant words and flushed cheeks. A small smile began to creep across her face.

“You’ve finally bloody met someone, haven’t you?!” she exclaimed joyously.

Julia dropped the book she was clutching and began parading around the back room in triumph. She waved her arms haphazardly in the air in celebration.

“Julia!” Remus groaned.

He ran his hands through his slightly damp hair and watched his friend with an annoyed, yet slightly amused expression.

 _She knows me too well_ , thought Remus.

Julia, once she’s finished her little victory dance, jumped back over to Remus and started hurling questions at him at a hundred miles an hour.

“Who is he? What’s his name? What does he look like? Is he better than the last one? _Remuuus_!”

Remus shook his head in response, curls bouncing upon his head.

“Please? Come on! Just tell me his name,” Julia begged.

To emphasise her point, she quite literally got down upon her knees and clutched her hands to her chest.

Silence occupied the room of a few moments, with Julia eagerly anticipating Remus’ next few words.

“I don’t know his name,” said Remus coyly. He averted his gaze to his shoes.

“You don’t- what? How could you not know his name?”

So Remus told her. He simply could not help himself. He gushed on and on and on about the mystery boy, about his bold appearance, his long black hair, his soft grey eyes. Remus explained his journey to the record store and the wonders that awaited him inside.

Julia listened, the smile on her beaming face growing larger with every word. She did not interrupt; she sat there and absorbed every last scrap of information upon Remus’ newfound attraction.

“Wow,” she whispered, “Bloody hell, Remus! Why did you leave?”

Remus sighed. He could kick himself for leaving so abruptly like that, but then again, was running towards someone that made him feel so strongly a wise idea? Surely he’d been through enough torment, enough heartbreak. He didn’t think that he’d be able to survive another.

Julia dismissed his silence. “Well… nevermind! You can just go back, eh?”

Remus stayed quiet.

"Oh, come on! Don't tell me you're just going to throw this all away," said Julia, growing a little agitated.

"There's not really much to throw away," he retorted bluntly. 

Julia's arms shot up and so did her tone. "Remus John Lupin. For the many years that we've known one another, I have never known you show this much excitement over a stranger. I mean, when was the last time you felt this way? For god's sake- take a chance! Speak to the boy! What's the worst thing that could happen?"

Remus considered her words. He knew that she was right - Julia was usually right about these things - he was wasting a perfectly good opportunity at happiness. But the tiny voice at the back of his head was getting louder and louder.

_What if it all goes wrong? What if it turns out like last time? What will you do then?_

Julia looked at her friend and immediately spotted the worry washing over his face. He was positively drowning in it. She gave a small sigh and gently placed a hand on Remus' damp shoulder.

"You need to stop thinking about him," she said gently, "Tomas was- god, he was a disaster waiting to happen." 

Remus flinched at the mention of his ex's name.

"I'm not-" Remus began, but was quickly cut off by the sound of the telephone ringing on the mahogany table which was pushed up against the left-hand corner of the room. 

Julia gave Remus a sorry smile, picked up the phone and sparked up conversation with whoever was calling.

He wasn't thinking about _him._ Well, not really. Remus' thoughts were becoming submerged in doubt and confusion. At that moment, he was primarily thinking about how terribly his last relationship had gone. However tempting it was to go running back to the black-haired boy, he knew that he must keep in mind the danger of pursuing something as intense as that. 

"Okay, thank you. Goodbye." 

Julia put down the telephone and pulled a face. "Another delivery due tomorrow." 

Remus nodded. 

"So... making another trip to the record store tomorrow?" she said encouragingly, giving Remus a bright and playful smile. 

"Uh..." 

"Remus, _please_. Just go for it! Show that bastard Tomas that you're pretty damn capable of living a good life without him." 

"Okay. _Fine!_ I'll go."

Julia warmly hugged him and began bouncing around the room yet again. Remus was convinced that she withheld an endless supply of energy. 

"Promise?" 

"I promise," he replied. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter was dominated by dialogue!


	3. Sirius Black

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay!

As much as Remus had dreaded it, Tuesday morning had arrived.

Remus slowly rolled out of bed and glanced outside to assess the weather. Smalls fragments of light filtered through his flimsy grey curtains. He gave himself a small smile when he discovered a warm sun sitting comfortably in an open blue sky. No rain! He cast a dark look towards the yellow raincoat draped across his armchair. Ghastly thing. 

He made his way towards his small, yet utterly spotless bathroom and timidly dared a glance in the mirror. A tall, scrawny young man glared back at him, purple smudges under his reddening eyes. Remus had never been overly fond of his appearance, so he tried to pay it as little attention as possible.

After a brisk shower, he began the impossible task of finding something to wear. Usually, he’d just throw on whatever was nearest to him, but today was different. As well as attracting the eye of the record store boy, he wanted to feel confident, a feeling that rarely paid him a visit. He picked up a few jumpers from his drawers and let out a small sigh. Was he trying too hard?

_Maybe I should just stay here_ , he thought to himself glumly.

No, he had promised Julia he’d at least give this a go. Breaking a promise was on the same level as murder in her eyes. He wasn’t due into work until midday - thanks to Julia - so even if things went terribly wrong, he could kill some time and maybe even enjoy a few solitary hours in the safety of his flat.

He simply had to go to the record store, browse a few boxes and spark up conversation with the boy. Easy! 

Remus went with a safer option of clothing: a subtle brown and white checkered shirt; a dark grey cardigan; and long brown trousers. He gave himself a lookover in the mirror once more, checked the time on his phone - _10:07_ \- then exited his flat. 

The mid-morning breeze fluttered past his face and messed up his already tangled hair. He tried to keep his breathing smooth and even and darted his gaze from one thing to another. 

**@RemusJLupin** : _Just left the flat. Help me!_

**@JuliaOCorrigan3** : _the boy has left the flat!! i repeat: the boy has left the flat!!!_

**@RemusJLupin** : _…_

**@JuliaOCorrigan3** : _full steam ahead!!!!!!!! ;)_

Remus chuckled to himself and carefully placed his phone in his back pocket. He was almost there. Walking down the street, he could just about glimpse the velvety redness of the outside of the shop. The golden door glimmered enthusiastically and the windows shone with pride. 

_Deep breaths_ … he reminded himself. 

Finally, his feet guided him to the door. He swept a loose curl out of his face and anxiously entered the record store. The ravishingly gentle, yet overwhelmingly potent smell re-entered his nose. Oh, what a wonderful smell it was! Remus couldn’t help but stare longingly at each individual record, admiring the bold colours and wacky names. He wished he could buy them all and cover his boring walls at home with shelves and shelves of records. It was a tempting thought. 

Drawing his eyes away from the music, he reminded himself why he was there; the boy. He hopefully looked over at the counter at the back of the shop. It was empty. 

_Oh_ , thought Remus, _he’s probably just round the back_. 

He wandered over to the left-hand section of the shop. He flicked through album after album, savouring every last glimpse. Remus was so absorbed, in fact, that he didn’t acknowledge the black-haired boy’s reappearance. He also wasn’t aware of the fact that the boy seemed to be looking straight at him. 

Remus’ nimble fingers stroked a record tenderly. He looked over his shoulder at the counter. There he was. The black-haired boy averted his gaze quickly. Remus was left slightly flustered and tingly, unsure whether to approach him or not. 

In the end, his feelings got the better of him. He picked up a record, steadied his nerves and walked towards the counter. 

The boy looked up expectantly, as Remus steadily made his way towards him. He gripped the album with a considerate force.

“Just this then?” the boy asked, a smile playing upon his lips. 

A smile tugged upon Remus’ own face, “Yeah. Just this.”

The boy’s voice wasn’t anything like Remus expected. It was smooth, yet bold, subtle, yet ornate. It trickled like honey into his ears and sweetened his heart. 

“Bowie. Classic, eh?” the boy said. He grinned at the album - Low, 1977, - and tossed Remus yet another smile. 

“He’s a true genius,” Remus reliped, softer than he desired. 

The two boys stood grinning at one another for a little longer than necessary. Remus wasn’t used to so much eye contact, but something about the boy’s smile made him feel safe. Secure. At home. 

The boy cleared his throat and handed Remus a bag with his record in. With doing so, he accidentally knocked a pen off of his desk. 

“Damnit,” he muttered to himself. His black hair tumbled around his face as he leaned down to pick up the pen. 

Remus watched soundlessly as the black strands of hair cascaded down his face. Even when retrieving a fallen pen, the boy held so much elegance.

“Sorry about that,” he said, snapping Remus out of his fixated stare. The boy studied Remus’ face for a moment, then spoke again. “I’m Sirius, by the way. Sirius Black.”

Sirius extended a long, slender hand towards him. Remus obliged and shook it softly. 

“Remus. Remus Lupin,” he replied. 

“Very nice to meet you, Remus Lupin,” Sirius grinned, perfect teeth contributing greatly to his angular face.

Remus tilted his head slightly and flashed him a warm grin. “Very nice to meet you too, Sirius Black.”

  
  



	4. Sappy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for 20 kudos!!

Remus shut the door to his flat with a lot more force than necessary. Why hadn’t he asked for Sirius’ number? He’d been enchanted by the boy’s attentive gaze and had found himself stuck in a rather blissful daze, which had led him to completely forget how to ask the most basic of questions. 

He gently placed the album on his bed and went to retrieve his old record player. Music, as they so famously say, is the perfect antidote to heartache. Remus decided that he’d simply drown out the anger, frustration and longing with some Bowie. Maybe he’d even take a trip to the record store another day…

After finding his record player, he set it down on his bed and made himself comfortable. His long fingers carefully slid out the pristine album from the outer cover. With this motion, a small slip of white paper escaped from inside the record cover and fell upon Remus’ dark green bed sheets. He stared at the paper, a quizzical expression upon his face, picked it up and unfolded it. 

On the piece of paper was a number.

_S.B_ was written underneath the number in a slightly smudged and slanted font. 

It was Sirius’ number.

* * *

“So?!” Julia excitedly exclaimed, jumping up and down like an energetic toddler. Her purple hair danced and leaped up into the air. 

Remus had always been jealous of Julia’s ever-changing locks of colorful hair. From his modest view, it seemed as though she could quite literally pull off every vibrant tone known to man. Remus was doubtful when she wanted to dye her hair a bright green a few months ago, but even that didn’t falter her effortlessly pretty outer appearance. She had single-handedly managed to defy all odds and suit every hair colour; the current purple was no exception. When they were both at school together, they’d started up a game. If he guessed Julia’s next hair colour correctly, he’d get some sort of pize. The game - miraculously - was still being continued and luckily enough for Remus, the colour spectrum to choose from was getting shorter and shorter with every new dye. Julia rarely tended to dye her hair the same colour twice. 

“ _Remuuuus_! Did you talk to him?” she interrogated. 

“I did.”

“And?” she asked expectantly. 

“And what?” Remus coyly replied. 

“Well- did you get his name?” 

Remus chuckled lightly to himself. “Sirius Black.”

“Blimey! That’s a name and a half,” she said, giving Remus an impressed smile. 

Remus nodded in response. A huge grin was plastered across his glowing face. 

“And you asked for his phone number?”

He gave her a sly smile.

“Bloody hell, Remus! Tell me you got this guy’s number.” She let out an exasperated groan, then looked closely at Remus’ face; he was grinning like a man who’d just won the lottery jackpot. 

“He slipped his number into the record I bought,” he replied.

It was taking everything he had not to jump around the library like his friend. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt so full of energy, so alive. He wanted to shout Sirius’ name out of an open window and let the whole world know how brilliant he felt. 

“That’s amazing!! See? I told you there was nothing to worry about,” she cried, flinging her arms around his shoulders. “Have you texted him yet?”

“I- uh.”

Julia removed her arms from around Remus and gave him a piercing stare. “Text him. From what you’ve told me, he doesn’t seem like the sort of guy who likes being kept waiting.” 

‘Okay, okay! I’ll message him.”

Remus had very much intended to keep his word, but when faced with the task by himself in his flat, his mind began to drift and wander. Should he go through with this? Was this really a wise idea? He gripped the piece of paper anxiously, knuckles turning white. He opened his phone and shakily began to type out a text message. 

**Remus:** _Hey, it’s Remus. I found your number in the album I bought?_

He tossed his phone aside and let out a sharp sigh of relief. It was done. Now all he had to do was wait...

_ Ping. _

Remus’ eyes darted towards his phone and caught sight of his glowing phone screen; a new message had come through. 

**Unknown:** _Hey! Haha I was worried that you hadn’t found my number or something :,)_

**Remus:** _Yeah… sorry about the delay. I’ve been at work_

**Sirius:** _No worries! A late reply is better than no reply at all_

**Remus:** _Very true_

**Sirius:** _(...)_

Remus stared agonisingly at the blue _(...)_ dots at the bottom of his screen. They kept appearing, then reappearing. At last, a new message came through. 

**Sirius:** _I just want to clarify that I don’t go around slipping my number into any old fool’s album, alright?_

He gazed at the message, his heart pumping vigorously and his mind swirling into a whirlpool of bliss, confusion and joy. Remus quickly typed out a reply. He debated answering with _why me?_ But instead, chose a more sensible option. 

**Remus:** _Well… what an honour, Mr Black_

**Sirius:** _Are you free tonight??_

**Remus:** _Tonight? How come?_

**Sirius:** _I thought maybe we could go out for a few drinks..._

**Remus:** _You barely know me! We’ve had exactly one face-to-face conversation in total._

**Sirius:** _I know you!_

**Sirius:** _At least I feel like I do_

**Remus** : _…_

**Sirius:** _What?!_

**Remus:** _Sappy bastard ;)_

**Sirius:** _Excuse me!!_

Remus laughed, the sound dancing through his empty flat and bouncing off the bare walls. 

**Remus:** _If it’s any consolation, I feel like I know you too_

**Sirius:** _NOW who’s the sappy bastard?!_

**Sirius:** _So_

**Sirius:** _What d’ you say? A few drinks? With me? At Spoons?_

**Remus:** _Fine!_

**Sirius:** _8?_

**Remus:** _Yeah, works for me_

**Sirius:** _Brilliant! I’ll see you outside :)_

**Remus:** _See you then :)_

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 is coming soon...


End file.
